Humayun’s tomb restored to its former glory

Cracked, broken and worn out were the words that came to mind when referring to Humayun’s garden tomb in Delh; but not anymore. On Wednesday, it was finally reopened to public after six years of painstaking restoration.

A brief history Originally built in 1570 by Persian architect Mirak Mirza Ghiyath, at the bidding of Humayun’s wife Hamida Banu Begam, the emperor’s tomb was one of the first structures in India to be built in the now-classic Mughal-style. Sadly, due to its rapid decay, the UNESCO World Heritage Site saw a steady decline in footfalls.

Finally, in 1997, the 50th year of India’s independence, the Aga Khan pledged to restore it. When the process finally began in 2007, traditional craftsmen were brought in to fill in joints, strengthen the dome, reconstruct collapsed arcades and restore the tile work. In total, a staggering 21,000sq m of lime plaster was applied and 5,400sq m of sandstone was reset.

The restoration was carried out by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in conjunction with the Archeological Survey of India. The project was co-funded by the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust. The restoration was completed on 18 September 2013 and the monument was inaugurated by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.